Work Hard | Play Harder

It’s a brand spankin’ new year, and at Prestige Business Solutions, we can’t help but feel ready to revamp our lifestyles. Many of us set out to achieve new goals and new versions of ourselves each year. Sometimes we succeed. Sometimes…not so much.

What sets apart the years or goals that work out in our favor from those that don’t? It’s got little to do with luck and more to do with how we approach our target.

Here’s how to set a realistic resolution and actually achieve it!

Define your goal. When setting a goal, it’s crucial to be specific and concise about what you want to accomplish. Don’t just pull something out of the air solely because you should be setting a goal, or because it’s something other people are doing or want you to do. Put some serious thought into it.

Write it down. “A goal that’s not written down is just a dream.” Writing your goal down makes it concrete. It makes is real. Once you write it down, put that sucker in a place where you’ll have to see it every day, (your bathroom mirror, fridge, coffee maker, etc.), so you can’t possibly forget about it.

Understand your why. Without a why, it’s too easy to lose ambition. When you have a solid reason for why you want to accomplish your goals, your drive will compel you to follow through until the end.

Break down the goal. When you look at your end goal as a whole, it can seem extremely overwhelming or seemingly unachievable. This is where many people lose their ambition. Don’t allow the intensity of your dream to squash your hunger. Breaking your goals down into smaller steps makes the climb much more doable.

Set a deadline. Set a concrete deadline for your for-seen accomplishment, and hold yourself to it. In addition, set solid checkpoints for your achievements along the way.

Hold yourself accountable. It’s important to take responsibility when you don’t follow through with your commitments. When setting personal goals, no one is going to be there to hold you accountable except for yourself, so the more you allow yourself to slide the more complacent you will become. It’s an amazing feeling to accomplish your own goals. It builds confidence, independence, responsibility, work-ethic and happiness! Happy goal-setting!

To learn more about Prestige Business Solutions, visit us on Linkedin!

Stress is a part of life, and as much as we’d like to, we can’t avoid it. We can, however, employ strategies to reduce, reflect and relieve stress in our everyday lives.

Here are some simple, yet very effective ways to keep stress at bay:

Get enough sleep. A lack of sleep will wreak havoc on anyone who is prone to anxiety. Even those who aren’t will notice an increase in stress levels when they’re not getting enough sleep. Make sure you’re getting enough rest to keep your stress levels at a minimum and keep your thought processes working smoothly.

Prepare the night before. Preparation is one of the biggest keys to success. Getting ready for each day the night before not only sets you up for a successful day, but it relieves a lot of stress during busy mornings.

Stretch in the morning. A good morning stretch relieves any physical tension you have in your body and it gets your blood moving. It’s great to get the blood and oxygen pumping to your brain first thing in the morning in order to improve your mood and increase your energy.

Sit down for breakfast. Give yourself enough time to sit down and eat a nutritious breakfast each morning. Downing a coffee and a quick breakfast on the go only adds more stress to a frantic morning. Sit down, enjoy your coffee, tea or a wholesome smoothie and take the time to really enjoy your meal.

Plan your day. Planning your day is huge. This is where you schedule, prioritize and get all of the clutter and chaos out of your head and onto paper, (or whatever device you use). Once it’s all written down, you can visualize it, set reminders, check things off and you no longer have to constantly stress and go over everything in your head.

Take your lunch break. We know that sometimes it’s unavoidable, but don’t make a habit of working through your lunch break, (and other breaks). We have breaks for a reason; to refuel, refresh, recharge and refocus.

Go for a walk. A quick walk can work wonders when it comes to reducing stress. Some physical activity paired with a change of scenery can boost your mood, help you to refocus and relieve stress and anxiety.

Chat with your S/O’s. Make the time to talk and connect with the people in your life. Sometimes we can isolate when we become stressed, when what we need most is to connect with those we care about.

Do something you love. When you’re constantly wrapped up in work and obligations, you’re bound to get stressed out! Make sure you take the time to do what makes you happy!

Develop a relaxing bedtime routine. A bedtime routine is super important when it comes to reducing stress. Not only does a bedtime routine help you to relax and ease tension, it sets you up for a restful night of sleep! Begin getting ready for bed at least 1/2 an hour early and make sure to wash up, get in comfy clean pajamas, turn off your screens and do a relaxing activity such as reading, knitting or coloring Even the thought of a relaxing bedtime routine is the perfect finish to each day.

Learn about the culture at Prestige Business Solutions by visiting our website. Check out some photo’s of the team and more!

Prestige Business Solutions, Inc. recently celebrated our two-year anniversary in April of 2017, and we want to take this time to talk about our CEO, Mateo, and his journey to success!

Before establishing Prestige Business Solutions, Inc., Mateo was a recent college graduate who was testing out the property business. Mateo’s background as a Marketing and Business Administration major has definitely helped him to establish himself professionally, but he accredits most of his success to his college experience as a whole and the fact that he was a college athlete. Participating in sports and attending college really helped Mateo become a well-rounded individual.

Interestingly, Mateo originally joined this business as a short-term option, as he had secured a job offer in London. He soon realized the opportunity before him in our industry and never looked back!

Sure enough, Mateo’s decision has greatly paid off! With hard work and determination, he became a manager in only one year! After opening Prestige Business Solutions, Inc., we have been recognized as the most profitable office of 2015 and 2016, award winning firm for our client, taken home thousands of dollars in bonuses from our client broker, and Mateo has been named Rookie Manager of the Year! All of this has been accomplished in only two years, and we can’t wait to see what we are capable of in the years to come!

Mateo’s favorite aspects of the business are being inspired on a consistent basis and being able to provide others with the opportunity to learn and grow.

Another bonus of being a part of this industry is the travel! At Prestige Business Solutions Inc., we do our share of traveling, whether it be for training, networking, conferences or some well-deserved relaxation! So far, Mateo has been to many different US states and cities, Germany, Spain, France, Croatia, Serbia and England!

Of course, an exciting trek like Mateo’s doesn’t come without lots of growth and lessons! “Its honestly endless, because not only have I learned the art of running a successful business, but I can apply it to my everyday life. The different individuals I have met on my journey, their stories and wisdom are just invaluable, and I am constantly still learning.”

Everyone makes mistakes along their journey to success, but Mateo won’t ever give up on his dreams and always has his end goal in sight. “If things are taking a turn, I will find out what I need to do to get back on track. It’s most likely returning to basics, restarting fresh and hard work.”

A career in our industry is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and discipline. However, this is a business that is merit-based, and your efforts and talents will never go unnoticed or unrewarded. Mateo would like to leave you with some advice, “Trust our training program and believe in the opportunity, and success will follow.”

Learn more about our team and a career with Prestige Business Solutions, Inc on our website.

Have you ever stopped to think how well you really know yourself? Many of us don’t pay it a second thought. It’s just assumed that we know ourselves, because…how can we not?

Well, the truth is that unless we stop and really reflect, most of us actually do not know ourselves as well as we think. It’s important to know yourself on a deep level when setting off to accomplish your career goals. It’s particularly important for those looking to become business owners or those on the entrepreneurial track.

If you don’t truly know yourself, you will have a heck of a time trying to keep your business afloat. Stop and ask yourself some questions time to time. You may find them more difficult to answer than you think.

What are my core values? It’s so important to know what you stand for and what you believe in. Reaffirming your values allows you to stand firmly with what you believe and make sure that your actions align with your values.

What are my strengths? Knowing your strengths allows you to play to your advantages. Reviewing your strong points is also a great way to build confidence.

What are my weaknesses? It is equally important to know your weaknesses. You can’t improve upon what you don’t know needs improving. It takes a strong person to admit their shortcomings. Knowing where you lack and being able to admit where you fall short is a great quality to have. Not only does it make you self-aware, but it allows you to better yourself.

What are my long-term goals? You can’t very well make methodical moves if you don’t know where you’re headed. You have to have an end goal.

What are my short-term goals? It’s equally important to have smaller, measurable goals that lead up to your long-term goals.

What am I most afraid of? Knowing your biggest fear can give you lots of insight. What is it about this thing that scares you? How does is relate to other experiences that you’ve had? Is it a reasonable fear?

What is my biggest failure? Why would you want to harp on your biggest failure? The importance is not in the fact that you failed. It’s in the lessons of the experience. What went wrong for you? What could you have done differently? What did you learn from the experience? Are you better off from having tried?

What is my proudest accomplishment? Again, rehash the experience. What actions did you take to accomplish this task? What did you learn from it? Feel the emotions that come along with the sense of accomplishment. How can you continue to implement those actions in your routine today?

What am I most ashamed of? We’ve all done things that we’re not proud of. Some people are affected negatively by mistakes they’ve made in the past. It can be helpful to analyze the situations that have caused you shame and regret. Instead of allowing them to cause damage to your self-esteem, use the experience as a platform to grow. If you feel shame or regret, it means that you did something that compromised your morals or you experienced a moment of embarrassment and survived. If you don’t process the feelings attached to the experience, it will always have hold of a part of you.

What am I worried about? It’s important to know what your worries are so you can figure out what significance they hold in your life. In addition, you should break them down so they aren’t consuming you. Process through each worry. Is it realistic? If so, what is the worst that can happen? Talk yourself through different scenarios in order to calm your anxieties.

What does my inner-critic tell me? At times, your inner-critic can seem like your worst enemy, but it is still a part of you. What are the most common criticisms that you hear from that voice? What effect is this having on your overall self-worth? What effect is it having in your performance and your life? What can you do to change the narrative? Be very careful of the way that you talk to yourself, because you are the one who is listening and being affected by it.

What/who brings me comfort? What brings you the most peace and comfort? How are these comforts helping you? How are they disadvantaging you? Are they healthy for you? Are you relying on them too much?

What am I passionate about? Know your passions and what drives you. Know what makes you want to get up in the morning. Know what makes you want to go to work every day. It’s not enough to just do things. You need to know why. Without a why, we lose interest.

What would I do if I weren’t afraid? What is something that you would love to do, but something is standing in your way? Now, think about how you can remove that obstacle. What else are you missing out on because of fear, money, time, etc?

If I could change anything about myself it would be… We all have things about ourselves that we’re not crazy about. Whether its characteristics, weaknesses, or bad habits, there is always room for improvement. Think about one thing that you’d like to change and work toward improving upon it. Each time you stop to reflect, see how far you’ve come and hopefully you’ll be ready to make a new improvement!

Remember to check in with yourself periodically. As our lives change, of course we change and grow as well. Some answers will change, and some will stay the same. You’ll find that knowing and understanding your values and your strengths and weaknesses will make you a better person in your career and in your life.

At Prestige Business Solutions we encourage entrepreneurial growth with an energetic, fun and family oriented environment. It is with our competitive atmosphere that we strive for excellence in everything we do. We have the opportunity to travel, learn, and grow, not only professionally but personally. Learn more about the culture at Prestige Business Solutions by visiting our website.

There is a well-known quote that states, “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard”. The effort that you put forth is the most influential factor in determining whether you will be successful or not, whether it be in life or business. Of course, talent, experience and resources will also play their part. However, the number one factor in determining success is drive and determination.

There is much debate on the subject of greatness and how people become great. Is it innate talent that they are born with? Is it natural talent that becomes even more great with practice? Or is it ordinary people that become great because they are determined to so do.

Perhaps it is a mix of a few things. However, you will be hard pressed to find a truly exceptional and successful person who has not worked their ass off to get there where they are.

Because greatness and success have no precise definition and the meaning is personal to everyone, this has been an ongoing debate. Is greatness born or is it made? We can all likely agree that although one may be born with natural talent, that talent will be useless if that individual has no drive behind it. If that person combines their innate talent with ambition, they will be unstoppable!

That’s not to say that those without a natural talent in a certain field cannot be successful. Many people struggle to find their footing for years, but their determination carries them much farther than those who don’t have to try at all. We firmly believe that anyone can learn any skill if they want it badly enough. Through determination and perseverance, anyone can become a success and anyone can create talent where it wasn’t there before.

Using your ambition to drive your Success:

What does this debate have to do with you and your future? Keeping this debate in mind when setting your goals and priorities for your future can help you keep yourself on track. It is a great way to keep things in perspective.

Remember that you do not need to have a certain skill to pursue your goals and dreams. Skills can always be learned and mastered if you are determined enough. Don’t ever allow the fear of failure to stop you from going after what you want. You can and will learn those skills and you will become great at them if you truly want to.

Remember that it is your focus, motivation and drive that will bring you to success. Your skills and experience will come along with those key elements. If you truly want success, you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse.

While talent can get you far in life, talent alone will not bring you success. If you want it, go get it!

All of us have hopes and dreams for our lives, but only some of us achieve those dreams. Why is that? Is it luck or chance? Perhaps, it is for some. For most, it comes down to decision and action.

There are many sayings about dreams and goals. A goal that’s not written down, that does not have a deadline or a plan is just a dream- and that is why for so many people, their dreams remain only dreams forever. You cannot just hope and wish that your dreams will come true. You must act on it.

This is where goal planning comes in; the beginning of all great things. Before you can even begin to make any big moves, you must make a plan. We’ve come up with a list of some of our favorite goal-setting tips for some inspiration. Happy goal setting!

See how CEO, Mateo, set and achieved goals and won an award at our last conference.

-Choose the right goals. Be honest with yourself, and find a middle ground between aiming too high and not setting your standards high enough. In addition, consider your situation and priorities. Set goals that are appropriate for your current needs.

-Make sure they’re attainable. Don’t set goals that are too far out of reach; you will only be setting yourself up for disappointment and discouragement. If there is a particular goal you’re aiming for that isn’t quite in sight at the moment, set smaller goals that will get you closer to that destination.

-Make sure they’re measurable. Goals must be measurable so you can track your progress, and hold yourself accountable. It is too easy to let lack of progress go under the radar if you are not consistently tracking it and holding yourself accountable. Which brings us to our next tip…

-Write them down! Make sure you write every single goal down and put them in a place where you will see them every day. We need visual cues to keep us motivated and to help us remember; otherwise we lose inspiration. How many New Years resolutions have come and gone without us actually following through? We tend to get psyched up about change and goal setting, but we lose momentum, when the hype dies down. Kind of an out of sight, out of mind type of thing. So, write those goals down, put them on a poster, write them in glitter, whatever you have to do to make them catch your eye every day.

–Make a game plan. Having a pretty little set of goals just isn’t going to cut it if you don’t have a concrete plan as to how you’re going to accomplish those goals. Sometimes this includes breaking each goal down into smaller goals. Maybe it means coming up with a few back-up plans. Take your time to work it out.

-Expect some setbacks. In order to be successful, you first must fail- probably more than once. Don’t let yourself get all bent out of shape when things go south. Brush yourself off, and get back in the game. Chances are, you learned something; at the very least, you learned what not to do. This is why it’s great to come up with a few alternative strategies in your planning phase. Additionally, by planning and allowing for some setbacks, it softens the blow and you’ll be able to get right back to it without fumbling or giving up.

-Assess regularly. Don’t forget to take a step back and assess how you’re doing. Are you accomplishing what you’ve set out to accomplish? If not, do you need to step it up a bit, or alter your goal? If you are are crushing your goals, maybe you should add some more! Make sure you’re not becoming complacent!

-Celebrate your victories. Don’t forget to congratulate yourself on your achievements! Take care of yourself and reward yourself for all of your hard work.

Setting and achieving goals is a healthy and constructive habit that each and every one of us should adopt if we want to lead a successful and fulfilling life. Not only does goal setting help us to achieve the things we most desire, it also provides us with a feeling of accomplishment and pride.

One of the main differences between successful and unsuccessful people is the way that they handle fear. Fear is a completely normal and unavoidable emotion that each and every one of us encounters on a fairly frequent basis in our lives. What sets apart the high achievers is that they do not let their fears hinder them from going after what they set out to achieve.

In order to grow as an individual, you must take risks in everyday life, whether they are big or small. If you want to be successful in your career and excel in the business world, you cannot avoid taking risks. Taking risks is often met with a fear of failure or a fear of the unknown. Even the most confident people experience fear from time to time. The key is to not let your fears prevent you from growing or going after your dreams.

When you find that your fears are holding you back from achieving your full potential, take a step back and put them into perspective. Often times, our fears are irrational and we need to challenge them to put them back into check. When we are about to make a big, potentially life altering decision, we tend to go into panic mode and create potential problems that do not even exist. Slow down, sit down with a pen and paper and challenge each one of those fears. Having a tangible list in front of you of which fears are actually plausible and which are irrational will allow you to throw some right out the window.

To learn more about Prestige Business Solutions, check out our culture on Pinterest.

Now that you know which fears are actually plausible, imagine the possible outcomes of your choices. What is the worst possible scenario? Is it really that bad? If so, what is the actual probability of that happening? Now imagine the best possible outcome. What impact can it have on your life? What is the probability of that happening? Now, weigh out your options, make an educated decision and try not to allow your fears to creep back in.

Another great way to kick your fears to the curb is to practice reframing your thoughts. This is something you can do everyday, not just when you have a big decision on your hands. Any time a fear or a nagging thought pops into your head, stop it dead in its tracks and challenge it. Stop the process of self doubt by changing your thoughts into positive or neutral thoughts. For example; If you are given a new task at work and a panicked thought pops in saying, “I’m never going to be able to do this!”, stop it and reframe it. Change it to something like, “This is going to be challenging, but I know I can do it, and I will learn something new.” The more you practice reframing your thoughts, the more naturally it will begin to happen. You will soon start to see things in a more positive light and fears and anxieties will have less room to sneak in.

The things that scare us most tend to have the biggest potential payoff. If we never took any risks and spent our lives allowing our fears to navigate all of our actions, our lives would be very fruitless, wouldn’t they?!

Spring is the time when a lot of companies have open positions. With the new birth of flowers and warm weather, many people get the itch to switch jobs. Prestige Business Solutions has 3 tips to ace your interview.

Dress like a boss.

The best way to feel confident during your interview is to be the best-dressed person in the room. By dressing like you own the place you will give off the impression that you have the ability to actually run the place. Don’t try any crazy styles out unless you are interviewing for a creative position (graphic designer, artist, interior designer).

Think before you speak.

Often times we start talking immediately after someone asks a question. An interview is a time to give well thought through responses and that takes a little time. Take a couple seconds to think about your answer before you let the words start rolling out of your mouth. Silence is okay for a few seconds.

Do your research and Ask Questions.

The easiest way to give the impression that you are not interested in the job is to come in unprepared. You wouldn’t buy a house without doing some research about it. So why would you go into an interview without doing any research? Look through the company’s website and social media. Ask questions about things you need clarification on. Are you unclear about the job description in the ad? Ask about it. Wondering how the person interviewing you got started in the business? Ask them! We have the answers and are excited to share them with you!

Prestige Business Solutions is confident if you follow these 3 tips and you will land your dream job in no time!

Most people have the desire to be more productive in their daily lives, but have difficulty figuring out how to do so. Sometimes, the trouble is that we do not realize that we may be getting in our own way. It is easy to develop little habits that, when combined, can be very detrimental to our productivity.

Here are some of the most common traps that we fall into and some easy ways to reverse the habits to maximize everyday productivity.

Hitting the snooze button. Hitting that snooze button can be an unconscious impulse for some of us. We may not even realize that we’re doing it until we look at the clock and notice that we’ve snoozed ourselves into being late for work! The thing is… those nine minute increments of extra sleep can feel like a piece of heaven at the time, but it ends up causing more damage than good. You can’t get restorative sleep in that amount of time, so you end up feeling worse than you would have had you gotten up on that first alarm and you’ve wasted valuable time! Try putting your phone or alarm clock across the room so you have to get up to turn it off!

Not prioritizing. When you fail to prioritize, you end up getting swamped with too much at once. It’s all too easy to get overwhelmed with information overload each day and consume your time with busy work. By prioritizing your tasks, you can make sure that you are accomplishing tasks in order of importance.

Multitasking. A lot of people pride themselves on their ability to multitask. Multitasking is not always a good thing. In fact, it can be a huge productivity killer. Trying to do too much at once detracts your attention from quality. It is under this circumstance that the old adage, “quality, not quantity”, rings especially true. Instead, focus all of your attention on one task at a time so you can perform at your best. You will make less mistakes and produce higher quality work.

Procrastinating. Procrastinating is one of the biggest productivity killers of all. Putting things off only causes you to stress about them until you get to them, which also causes you to give divided attention to other projects you’re working on in the meantime. To avoid procrastinating, tackle your most important and most challenging tasks first thing in the morning.

Failing to make a plan. Starting your day without a plan is a great way to get less accomplished. Without a game plan, you have no way to keep yourself on track or hold yourself accountable. Start each day with a plan and a few goals to keep yourself on the right path.

Perfectionism. While perfectionism can certainly cause us to hold ourselves to a higher standard, is is simply impossible to live up to our own expectations when we’ve become that critical of ourselves and our work. Being a perfectionist can cause us to get hung up on every minute detail, which results in the inability to move on from minor problems and setbacks. To avoid the pitfalls of perfectionism, take some pressure off yourself and accept the fact the there will be some bumps in the road. Learn to accept your failures as long as your learn from them and chalk it all up for experience.

Waiting for the right time. If we all waited for the “right” time to do things, we’d be waiting a lifetime to accomplish anything. The fact of the matter is, there is never going to be a perfect time. You will always be able to find a reason for why the time isn’t “right”. Stop waiting around and start doing. You’ll be glad you did!

In today’s busy world, there are so many distractions that can easily put a damper on our productivity. In addition to outside distractions, we can become our own worst enemies, as well! Luckily, by making a few simple, but effective adjustments we can kick up our productivity and send our bad habits packing for good.

We asked every employee at Prestige Business Solutions, Inc if they have ever felt nervous and every single person said, “Yes”. Whether it was nervousness related to an interview, a big sales presentation, sport, or asking someone out on a date we all have felt nerves at some time. Prestige Business Solutions, Inc has a few tips to help ease your nerves

You know what you want to say: Concentrate on the Ideas: Concentrate on the ideas you want to get across, not on your own nervousness. Even shy people speak up when it’s something they care about.

Kill the Intro – Make a Strong Start: You’ll be most nervous at the beginning, so start with an introduction that will be easy to remember and that will relax you and ease you into the rest of the talk. Try a fun ice breaker or content you are familiar with to ease the situation.

“Fake it till you make it”: Portray a Confident Attitude: Tell yourself you’re “pumped,” not nervous. Remember that, to an audience, nervousness can seem like dynamism or energy. Your attitude will probably determine what the audience thinks.

In through the nose and out through the mouth: BREATHE. Right before you have to start whatever it is, take a few moments to regulate and deepen your breathing. The second you start to feel a case of nerves building up take a deep breath. You will start to feel better immediately and your voice will convey your relaxation and confidence.

Always remember, no one knows what you are supposed to say so even if it doesn’t go how you planned it, the crowd does not know that. Stand strong and finish your presentation – you got this!

To learn more about Prestige Business Solutions, visit us on Pinterest!